He tells us how the impact of using the Provox Life range of HMEs has had on his everyday life.

Christopher, a driver for a local hospice underwent a total laryngectomy in 2011 at the age of 51.

Prior to using Povox Life, he spent a considerable amount of time cleaning his stoma, which affected him at work and meant he had to be selective about the distance he drove to limit the amount of time required to talk to passengers. Stoma care also took time away from his favourite pastimes, one of his favourites being gardening.

He decided enough was enough and in May 2022 he tried the Provox Life HMEs and adhesives.

Since doing so, the impact of switching from Provox to Provox Life, has significantly reduced his coughing. Before, he used to cough up to 6 times per day but now only coughs up to 3 times per day, a huge 50% reduction. He now feels more comfortable and confident in carrying out daily activities, as well as being able to speak for longer.

Christopher used to remove his HME most of the night as his breathing felt restricted. On the an average night he would wake up to 5 times due to coughing but by using the Provox Life Night HME he now only wakes up to 3 times in a night. He said, compared to the old range this HME is soft and has side openings for easy breathability. By using both the daytime (Provox Life Home and Go HME) and the night time HME has made Christopher feel more settled during the evening and improved his quality of sleep.

He said, “My quality of life has improved. I experience far fewer episodes of shortness of breath and I’m able to leave the HME in for longer periods. Before, I was worried about coughing in public and the amount of mucus meant I had to carry lots of items with me. Whereas with Provox Life, I only have a couple of items and it’s helped to reduce the amount of coughing and mucus.”

He continues… “At night I use the Provox Life Night HME which is good to use compared to the old range because it’s soft and has side openings. Also, I seem to be able to breathe better.”